Karla
A foundling on the steps of the ophanage in Jarath Bay, Karla did not know her parents or have any family; though it was highly probable she was, like many others there, the unwanted get of one of the many women of disrepute in the city. She learned to fend for herself at an early age; food being always scarcer than the mouths that demanded it. Lessons in the art of "payback" were aplenty in Karla's life. She was soon taught that a slight gone unnoticed today breeds bolder grievances tomorrow. Though her caretakers did not abuse any of the children at the orphanage, there was always hardwork and an air of carelessness regarding their wellbeing boardering on negligence. If a need was not voiced specifically to one of the caretakers directly, nothing will have been done to fulfill it. As soon as Karla came of age, she walked out of the orphanage and never turned back. For eight years after her "graduation" from the orphanage, Karla worked odds and ends jobs around the city. She kept mostly to herself during those uneventful years. Four years ago, she encountered a group of faithfuls to The Lady in the Room, the Goddess Calistria, and learned much from them. Karla decided to serve The Savored Sting by becoming one of her clerics. Through her service, the more experienced faithfuls felt that she was lacking in her dedication to their Goddess because although she wreaked revenge on any who slighted her or others (and there were many), and will use trickery when it pleased her, she never was a good practitioner of The Unquenchable Fire's third cause, lust. Thus, they cast Karla out to practice what she claimed to serve. Karla did not feel she needed this training but had no choice but to make her own way without her newfound family. To differentiate herself from the other clerics of Calistria, who like their Goddess, arrayed themselves in flowing yellow silks, Karla had a set of leather armor made to fit for the journey ahead. To remind herself of her purpose, she had the leatherworker dye the set scarlet. The other faithfuls gifted her with a red leather whip, the favored weapon of their Goddess. So with her pale golden tresses in a single braid and her weapon by her side, Karla starts her journey to become a better cleric of her chosen Goddess. Karla was sent by Yory Jinth, an old herbalist in Jarath Bay, on a mission to rid the surrounding area of orcs. It was during this mission when she first met her companions for the next few months: a summoner turned inquisitor, a paladin, a sorcerer, and a knight with her squire. She served her Goddess well by never letting a chance for vengence pass her by; though sometimes the revenge was wreaked upon those of her own party. One of the first of her companions to suffer her wrath was the unfortunate Arun Gan, the sorcerer, who mistakenly casts a spell that injured the entire party. To punish the misdeed, Karla suggested that he would be a willing participant in some very perverse activities to someone who delighted in participating. A pivotal figure in Karla's fulfillment of her personal journey to becoming a better cleric of Calistria was a powerful and, some would say, handsome sorcerer named Bowen Mordinth. After their party met with the sorcerer, who devoted himself to love and the making of it, he "cursed" Karla with a spell that forced her to be intimate with another under threat of weakening her so completely she could hardly stand. It was through this spell that Karla found her one true love. Living the kind of life she had lived in Jarath Bay and seeing what happened to women who placed their faith in men, Karla was wary of the lot of them. She thought she might feel more comfortable being intimate with another woman so she enlisted the help of the female knight in her party. Though the intimacy began through need, Karla found herself caring for Zarah Nieve more with each passing day, until she fell completely in love with the woman. At a perceived threat to Zarah's life by the inquisitor, Malichai Ealwen, on his mad quest to infiltrate the sydicate of Eadric The Sly, Karla and Zarah separated from the rest of the group. It turned out to be the best weeks of Karla's life. Their journey took them to Ver's Spire, a beautiful and tranquil haven, as well as several other locations where they retrieved three powerful silver bracers. After disguising themselves and catching up to Eadric undetected, Karla and Zarah managed to slay him in a Meridia inn as Malichai watched through a magical two-way mirror. With the threat to Zarah's life ended, Karla decided returning to their companions would be safe. She never forgave Malichai for his threat, however, and nettled him any chance she got. The feud with Malichai escalated when he caused the demise of Karla's beloved horse, Betsy. Though she never found out the exact manner with which he had instigated the event, she knew her long time friend and companion lived no more. The year before joining the followers of Calistria, Karla spent her life savings to rescue the injured mare left by a mercenary who had gambled away all his money from being sent to the slaughter house. She nursed her back to health and was rewarded with a constant and loyal friend the likes of which she had never known before. After several failed attempts to poison or have poison administered to him, and unable to even get Malichai to confess his crime, Karla decided she could no longer endure the sight of him and parted company with the man. Before the rest of the group had a chance to choose sides, the loner left by himself. During their final mission, Zarah was taken by a vampire in the night. A frantic Karla urged her companions to hurry to her rescue. While her other companions lead the saved villagers, including Arun's sister, Emilia, to safety, Karla sought after Zarah with Arun's (now also a vampire) help. Unfortunately they were too late to save Zarah from being turned. Karla, with rage and despair, fought Zarah's killers with all she had left. Zarah's last word to Karla gave her hope that there was a way of returning her beloved to life. So when given a choice to leave Zarah in her coffin to burn with the rest, Karla chose to attempt to save her instead, at the cost of her own life in the end. Her last act may have been seen as foolish by her companions, Karla thought, as she felt the sharp piercing pain drain her life away, but she had no regrets. A ghost of a smile spread across her face as she saw events of the last few months with Zarah unfold before her mind's eye. No, she thought, no regrets, as she slipped steadily into oblivion.